When to send final payment for CPO?

[Kalease]

I'm pleased to say I finally put a deposit down on a Model S a few days ago, very exciting. So far the process has been great and I've already been contacted by my delivery specialist (hopefully the communication continues as we get further).

I do have a question however and curious to what others have experienced. After speaking with my CPO Advisor he said that once the vehicle is inspected and about a week prior to delivery they will request final payment. Is this standard? Purchasing a car sight unseen is already a risk and one I was willing to take based on what I've read about the CPO program, but actually paying for it as well seem a bit odd. The car is not local to me so I won't be able to check it out prior.

Is sending final payment prior to delivery normal for a CPO?

 

[Az_Rael]

If you are in a state that allows Tesla sales, then I would hold off until delivery day to bring the final payment. That is how I did mine.


However, in states that don't allow Tesla sales, the transaction must be completed prior to shipping the car. I don't know if your state falls into that category.

 

[Zaphod]

If you are in a state that allows Tesla sales, then I would hold off until delivery day to bring the final payment. That is how I did mine.


However, in states that don't allow Tesla sales, the transaction must be completed prior to shipping the car. I don't know if your state falls into that category.

May be different for CPO versus new orders, but don't believe that is the case, at least not in TX any more.

 

[Kalease]

If you are in a state that allows Tesla sales, then I would hold off until delivery day to bring the final payment. That is how I did mine.


However, in states that don't allow Tesla sales, the transaction must be completed prior to shipping the car. I don't know if your state falls into that category.

Yes the state allows Tesla sales. Yeah I'll absolutely be holding until I pickup. Wondering how many people actually pay prior though? It would make me a bit uncomfortable.

 

[Az_Rael]

Yes the state allows Tesla sales. Yeah I'll absolutely be holding until I pickup. Wondering how many people actually pay prior though? It would make me a bit uncomfortable.

People do. You hear about it occasionally on new cars back when Tesla would pressure people to finalize the sale prior to delivery to meet end of quarter numbers. Folks would agree then the car would be delayed another month with the buyer having much less leverage at that point since the money had been exchanged.

 

[RichardD]

I'm in TX picked up in CO. I had to have full payment before pickup, like a day before.

 

[Kalease]

I'm in TX picked up in CO. I had to have full payment before pickup, like a day before.

@RichardD everything go smoothly for you during pickup?

 

[RichardD]

@RichardD everything go smoothly for you during pickup?

Very much so.. they took care of everything..Only issue I had was the Colorado blue law. I had to wait until Monday to pick my car up, otherwise I would have had it in 5 days not 7.. haha.. I got so very lucky.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Yes the state allows Tesla sales. Yeah I'll absolutely be holding until I pickup. Wondering how many people actually pay prior though? It would make me a bit uncomfortable.

I had to pay in advance for my car, sight unseen, because I am 338 miles from the Service Center and they delivered it (a big help because I had sold my other cars in anticipation of the CPO Model S). The cost was apparently covered by they transport fee I paid to have it shipped from Washington DC to the Denver SC, since I didn't pay any additional. I was told that Tesla delivers to customers beyond some distance (I think it was something like 140 miles).

The delivery was a bit of an adventure: The truck was sideswiped in Denver shortly after the pickup but I wasn't told until I inquired about why I hadn't heard anything about the coming delivery (on a Saturday). I was told that repairs would be made and the truck would reach me on Sunday. Then I heard that the truck was not easily repairable so my car was put on another truck and would be some hours late. Finally, late Sunday afternoon, I got a call from one of the truck drivers asking for my location; I had trouble understanding where he was from his description. We finally decided that bringing a semi up steep mountain hairpins to a dirt road cul-de-sac would be too difficult so I suggested the library down in town since it has the largest parking lot in the tiny town, population ~1000. I then called my neighbor and asked for emergency transport down to town (I think I interrupted her dinner). As we arrived at the library the car was being unloaded by lift from the enclosed truck onto the dirt parking lot. The truck drivers were on their way to California with the rest of their load but they let me look over the car with my checklist. Since it was low mileage — less than 7000 — I didn't find anything (I eventually discovered one missing valve cap and a slightly scuffed wheel). The truck drivers gave me the keys and had me sign the electronic pad receipt and I drove it home. That was the first time I had ever sat in a Tesla, but I had done my homework on how to drive it by watching a video on how the controls worked and by reading the manual.

Life is different out here in the wilderness!

 

[Kalease]

Sounds like everything worked out for you in the end, that's great.

After reading all the CPO stories I know I will run into issues, just hope they aren't too big of a deal since I will be flying out to pick up once available.